The Columbiana County Health District received an Ohio Department of Health Director’s Award for its continued response to the East Palestine train derailment. Pictured are Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, left, with Columbiana County Health Director Dr. Wesley Vince. (Featured photo)
LISBON – The Columbiana County Health District has received an Ohio Department of Health Director’s Award for its continued response to the East Palestine train derailment. Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff presented this year’s Ohio Public Health Conference award to Columbiana County Health Commissioner Dr. Wesley J. Vince thanked the district and its staff while presenting.
In response, the health district has been involved in several issues, including developing and implementing a clean drinking water sampling plan that notifies private wells in the area and provides access to water for residents affected by the outage. Shared sampling at no cost by the Health District and Norfolk South. With peace of mind, this ongoing sampling program has yielded a total of 442 final sample results to date.
State and federal partners led the health district to open and operate a temporary health assessment clinic at First Church of Christ in East Palestine. This free clinic provided an opportunity for residents with health questions or concerns to speak with medical and mental health professionals. Professionals. The clinic was open for 28 days and served 338 individuals. The Columbiana County Health District also began establishing a permanent health clinic in East Palestine, which currently operates at East Liverpool City Hospital and continues to serve residents with crisis-related health concerns. from payment.
“This is a testament to the public health partnerships we have from the local to the federal level. Partners are our greatest strength. Our residents have benefited greatly from the efforts of health district staff and our public health partners. Vince was asked what this award means to the department.
Vince took to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the residents of East Palestine this March at a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. Emphasis on community recovery and the need for a long-term private well sampling program to ensure clean drinking water for households affected by the loss.
The Columbiana County Health District was founded in 1919 and received national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board in 2022.